We did on St Patrick’s Day and loved it. It was challenging but enjoyable. Definitely want to bring poles and microspikes. Snowshoes not needed. Hit snow at 1.5 miles all the way to too. Great winter hike with not a lot of people. Probably better in winter as you get more views and less overgrowth on trail. Slower going in the snow. Took us about 2 hrs 45 minutes to the top. Trailhead can be a little tough to find. From parking lot climb up to logging road and stay right. Go further and then stay right at the next junction with the John Wayne Pioneer Trail/Iron Horse Trail Look. Go about 150 yards on left and look for cairn on the road and trees carved with Mt WA.

avoid starting on the lower trailhead. The climb up the ridge to the upper trailhead is very steep and easy to lose the trail, at least at this time of year. Bring snowshoes for the upper forest road and microspikes for the trail. Really nice forest to hike through!

As of today the snow is about thigh deep about half way up it’s starting to get very hard to get to the top and impossible without snow spikes or snow shoes, sadly I was late and I didn’t make it all the way up but still a great hike, next time I’ll cheat up one of the avalanche channels and then just follow the ridge till I get back to the trail, and the watch tower

Both novice hikers from Ohio, my boyfriend and I️ took on the challenge of this hike. I️ encouraged him we could do it no problem as I️ run half marathons with little training and he’s a strong runner as well! With little research, I️ quickly learned on the trail, running and hiking a mountain are completely different! However strong willed and with frequent rests we made it to about 4,700 ft elevation until the snow was too deep to go on (we did not have snow gear or hiking poles). With a slight feeling of defeat, I️ sat on my pack silently, breathing in the mountain air and feeling grateful for this life. As I️ sat gazing out at the endless beauty before me the sun suddenly shone strongly and my boyfriend got down on one knee and proposed... I️ said YES!

Granite Mountain will forever be my favorite hike! Looking forward to many more hikes and a lifetime of adventure with my forever fellow!

Also, I️ recommend poles for this hike ;) I’ll be doing more research for my next adventure in hiking!

Incredible views! Once you start the hike, the trail begins quite muddy but the mud goes away almost immediately. I hiked up with two others at 5 am with flashlights to see the sunrise, however we missed the turnoff for the Granite Mountain trail up to the fire watch and hiked 2 miles in the wrong direction before realizing we were going the wrong way. Don't make this mistake!!! Keep your eyes open, however its hard to miss when light out. We were very tired after hiking that extra distance all while in the snow (2/3 of the trail is covered in snow, especially once you get to last couple of miles so make sure to have gators and waterproof hiking boots! Incredible sights at the top, would definitely recommend.

Love this hike but I came under prepared. Make sure u got good shoes and lots of water. This hike was one of my hardest. It's nice uphill walk. When u get closer to the top it gets rocky. The husky dog and two kids came as well. View was amazing at top.

Great hike! A bit overcast by the time I reached the top but it was beautiful non-the-less. The open expanse is glorious with fall colors. The trail is in good condition. The beginning is a bit muddy but clears up right away. If one veers to the right instead of boulder climbing at the base of the peak, you will find snow on the sides of the trail with ice pack on the trail.

The gravel road to the trailhead is rough. But the waterfall is great if you can scramble up the boulders to get right up to it. The 2nd half up to the alpine meadows is steeper, but the wildflowers and Rainier views are worth it. About 4 hrs round trip.

Snow has already began to set in for the season so I highly recommend bringing gloves, warm layers and waterproofing as much as possible. It got pretty cold and was snowing/sleeting near the top which had a lot of people turning around so check weather conditions to. A lot of the Trail was hiking up a literal river but views were spectacular and totally worth it!

I'd call this a Mini- Enchantments because it will kick ones ass and provide breathtaking views- and not just at the top. I did this hike today and took my time going up and coming back down. In all I spent 8 hours almost on this one, including relaxing and eating lunch in the Basin. Saw less than ten people on the hike which was also kind of pleasant. I loved the different water Falls along the way once you get past the sign that indicated the lands belong to NDR (or whatever it says).

The paybox near the trailhead gate was recently stolen so if you want to get a day pass you'll need to buy it at the Verlot Ranger station 20 miles before the trailhead.

What makes this hike challenging is you need to watch your footing most of the time, especially on the way down. I found myself surprised that I'd climbed over some of the slabs of rocks on the way up when I was having to climb down over them. You may say "Did I really come up over all this?" Yes. Almost thought I was using alternate trails back down but then I'd see something familiar and knew I wasn't.

Wear ankle supporting shoes is my advice and don't get in a sloppy hurry. I also used Trekking poles and am very glad I did, especially coming down.

This can be done in a day but I envied those camping on top. That's the way to do it, weather permitting.

I love this hike. It is hard, especially if there's any snow, which will leave you with only the boulder route, that many people just can't do. I had a great time when I went alone, but when I went back wit friends, there was snow on the easy side and we didn't make it to the top. I recommend going alone or bringing determined friends.

I did this hike on a cold winter morning and really wish I'd had better layers. It's best for experienced hikers, and also seems like a good one to do with company. We didn't see other people on the trail, as I'm used to.

Gorgeous hike. Getting to the top is like walking into another world. The trailhead is not clearly marked at first - park at the Barlow Pass lot, then cross the road, pass the gate to a wide trail and walk 3/4 mile until you see the trailhead sign on the right. There was a lot of scrambling, but nothing technically difficult. The trail is also very narrow in places and overgrown, so if the trees are wet your clothes will be too. The elevation gain kind of bottlenecks during the second half, so be aware ;)

First of all: regardless of what the weather looks like it is doing...PEOPLE, RESPECT THE BURN BAN. Are you smokey the bear? Didn't think so. Also, uphill hiker has the right-of-way...

Disrespectful hikers aside, this is an incredible hike:

Did an overnight here. The climb up with an overnight pack is definitely a smasher, but if you are in good shape, you are going to enjoy it. Honestly the hike down was more strenuous for me than the hike up. Your legs are just jelly by the bottom. If you prepare yourself mentally for a tough hike, its going to be a good time. Take your time and bring your nutrition and water. Plenty of spots to filter refills, and one area of rushing water you can dip right in.

Unfortunately it rained and was cloudy the entire day/night after setting up camp, but the area is so incredible it was still worth it. The next day we got a sense of the views as it started to clear up. There are some camp sites up closer to foggy lake, but water access is not as easy for refills. We stayed down by the lower lake.

Will be going back for an overnight on a clear evening for sure. Favorite trip other than the enchantments that I have done in WA.

I did this trail with my oldest daughter two weeks ago for the first time. This is now my favorite overall hike, it's just the right blend of gain, distance, and overall beauty. The gravel road to the trailhead sucks but the view from the top of Spray Park makes it completely worthwhile. There are also an abundance of low bush blueberries/huckleberries that are sweet and satisfying as a reward for the climb.